Credit: Maryland_govpics2, Flickr

Photo Credit: Maryland Gov Pics, Flickr

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE & RESTORATIVE PRACTICES

The use of Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices in schools offers a respectful and equitable approach to discipline, as well as a proactive strategy to create a connected, inclusive school culture. Inspired by indigenous values, Restorative Justice is a philosophy and a theory of justice that emphasizes bringing together everyone affected by wrongdoing to address needs and responsibilities, and to heal the harm to relationships as much as possible. The term Restorative Practices is used by a number of practitioners to describe how the concepts of Restorative Justice are utilized to create change in school systems. These practices are an alternative to retributive zero-tolerance policies that mandate suspension or expulsion of students from school for a wide variety of misbehaviors that are not necessarily violent or dangerous.